My two years in Keflavik, Iceland in the 70’s was a significant time for my development as an artist since it was there that I saw some wonderful batik and began seriously working in that medium. While throwing pots, waxing fabric and sketching the landscape I studied a little Icelandic language and learned of the ancient written script called runes.

This medieval writing system may have come to the island with the first Norwegian settlers in 870 CE. More than 1552 runic inscriptions have been found in Norway and approximately 100 in Iceland. My teacher showed me the transliteration of that script in the English alphabet and how I could put the letters together, making one symbol, a bind rune, for my name.

I have signed my artwork in this manner for the past 30 years. This created some confusion when I was working in Japan since it looked so much like a strange Japanese kanji character. An American, living in Japan and signing her work with an Icelandic rune is truly an anomaly.

Runes are also magical signs and can be used as charms or for divination. The word rune has been translated as “secret, something hidden.”

— Kiranada Sterling Benjamin